French as a Second Language

The Rainy River District School Board FSL program begins in Grade 4 where student begin the process of developing French vocabulary, structure and expressions, primarily for oral understanding. Through Grades 5 and 6, students will continue to expand their foundation of vocabulary, structure, and understanding of very basic French, primarily through oral discussion and tasks.

Beginning in Grade 7, the FSL program shifts slightly, to ensure students are basic users of the French language by the end of Grade 8 and Grade 9 and fully prepared to move on to be independent users of French by the end of grade 11 and 12, should they continue with FSL beyond Grade 9.

Upon the completion of the compulsory programming at the end of Grade 9, students will Basic Users of French, able to understand sentences and expressions of personal relevance such as communicating basic personal and family information, shopping, employment and matters of immediate need. Those students who continue with French as a Second Language programming to the end of Grade 12 will be Independent Users of French. They will possess the skills and confidence to understand and interact using both the spoken and written French language on a broad range of subjects.

The ability to speak and understand French allows students to communicate with French-speaking people in Canada and around the world, to understand and appreciate the history and evolution of their cultures, and to develop and benefit from a competitive advantage in the workforce.

Second Language learners develop skills in the following areas:

listen and respond to texts and to others;

speak and interact with others;

read, view, and respond to a variety of texts;

write a variety of texts for many different purposes and audiences.

Curriculum content includes A Framework for French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12, 2013 and The Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR). The CEFR is an internationally recognized proficiency scale for the acquisition of a second language which is the basis for the new Ontario French curriculum.

Each year Grade 12 many students participate in the Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF) exam. An internationally recognized test, the DELF exam evaluates students’ ability to use French in real-life situations. The DELF exam includes an oral, written and reading comprehension component. Successful students will receive a DELF diploma from France’s Ministry of National Education. The diploma is recognized around the world and is valid for life.